Full-time comic artist

"Do you still have the original manuscript for the latest chapter? Please hand it to me."

……

On Friday, Sasaki held Xiaozheng's academic report, and his usually calm face showed shock.

"702 votes..."

Although it didn't reach Jump's record for small size, it's not far off.

"It seems that the readers really enjoyed this chapter."

He adjusted his glasses, feeling more confident.

Chapter 149's autograph session attracted many comic book artists.

Kazuki Takahashi's studio.

This week marks the first chapter of the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga series, and on Friday, he feels very nervous.

"Xiao Zheng ranked third."

Bottle Yoshihisa called to inform him.

Kazuki Takahashi felt a pang of anxiety. His previous serialized work had also achieved this result, and then it was canceled shortly afterward.

You can't blame him for being anxious, because anyone would be nervous about getting a serialization opportunity that they finally got.

In the first episode of Yu-Gi-Oh!, he designed a very exciting game.

After Yugi Muto assembled the Millennium Puzzle, one of the spirits within the puzzle was released. It possessed Yugi's body and began a dark game with the thugs.

Both players are suspended levelly from the outer wall of the tower by a rope. They rise in position by drawing playing cards, while their opponent falls.

When one returns to the top of the tower, the other falls into darkness.

This thrilling and exciting game is his masterpiece, but judging from the results, readers are not buying it.

With such a terrible start, how can Yu-Gi-Oh! have a bright future? More seriously, does this manga even have a future?

Bottle Yoshihisa comforted him, "Don't worry, because most of the reader surveys went to 'Slam Dunk.' You're only three votes behind second place."

Slam Dunk?

Kazuki Takahashi suddenly realized that the latest chapter of this work was extremely exciting and had sparked a media frenzy in Japan.

Wherever he goes, he hears people discussing the plot of "Slam Dunk".

In schools and workplaces, it's impossible to fit in without discussing this work; it's a phenomenal comic.

Kazuki Takahashi recalled what Yoshihisa Hei had told him: "Akino Tori said that Yu-Gi-Oh! is the future of Jump."

He suddenly felt more confident.

After hanging up the phone, Kazuki Takahashi glanced outside and decided to buy the Slam Dunk manga volumes the next day.

……

Tokai University Gymnasium, Japan.

Basketball team captain Yagami watched the practice match and suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

He saw a new member who was quite capable.

The female manager of the basketball team standing nearby said, "That's Kanda Takehito, who just joined. He must have played basketball before, has game experience, and is very strong. He didn't just decide to play basketball because he watched 'Slam Dunk'."

“Hmm,” Yagami said, looking admiringly at Kanda Taketo under the backboard. “He has excellent physical attributes and a solid foundation. He’s a great addition to the basketball team.”

The national competition is starting in November, which is good news.

As he looked at it, he frowned.

"Why do the others seem so distracted? Is it because the training has been too frequent lately?"

"No way, everyone hopes to enter the national competition and dominate the country," the female manager shook her head.

Kyoko Akagi walked into the gymnasium and heard their puzzled voices.

She walked up to Yagami and the others with her hands behind her back, explaining their confusion, "Don't you know? There's a book signing event for the manga by Mirai Toriaki, the author of 'Slam Dunk,' tomorrow."

"Oh!" Yagami opened his mouth, his expression showing some surprise, but he quickly composed himself.

The female manager shook her head. "No wonder."

Every member of the Donghai basketball team dislikes the manga "Slam Dunk".

She turned her head to look at Yagami, who also seemed interested, so she suggested:

"Let's go and participate; it'll be a way to encourage everyone."

Yagami looked at his absent-minded teammates and nodded helplessly.

Seeing this, Kyoko Akagi realized there was going to be some excitement, and she raised her hand: "I want to go too!"

……

At the Mandarake branch in Ikebukuro, Hibiki Higashino sat in a chair, the autograph session about to begin.

There were far more people today than at previous "Hikaru no Go" fan signing events; the large crowd even attracted passersby.

Higashino Hibiki didn't know the exact number, but it looked like there were several thousand people, a dense mass of heads.

The organizers used barriers to create a long queue, with more than a dozen rows and several hundred people in each row, but it was already completely full of people.

Higashino Hibiki felt his hands were getting tired just looking at it; he wished he could use a stamp to make it.

He shook his head and sighed inwardly. Then he said to the organizers, "We can begin."

……

"After you finish signing autographs, go back to the basketball team for training camp immediately, understand?"

After the team purchased the first volume of "Slam Dunk," Yagami spoke to his teammates in front of the Mandarake Ikebukuro branch.

"Understood!" Tian Bei raised both hands.

A dozen or so people were over 1.8 meters tall, and several were over 1.9 meters tall. They were very conspicuous, and many people turned around in shock.

Once inside the venue, this problem was gone.

Because there are many tall people, the members of the Donghai basketball team saw many familiar faces in the vast sea of ​​people.

"That's the Japanese university basketball team," Kobayashi said, pointing ahead.

Yagami looked over and saw that the people laughing and talking there were indeed members of the Japanese university basketball team.

They were also the champions of the previous Japanese University Basketball League!

In other words, they are the team that dominates the entire country!

His pupils constricted as he felt an unusual sense of pressure.

This is their most important opponent in the national competition!

"That's the Japanese sports academy basketball team over there!" Baba pointed to another team.

Japan Sports School is one of the top four teams in the university basketball league. Although their performance was not satisfactory last year, they should not be underestimated and are a long-established powerhouse.

"So many strong teams have come to Mr. Toriaki's autograph session..." Kyoko Akagi was shocked.

She was aware of the popularity of "Slam Dunk," but she didn't expect that Akino Tori would have such an amazing influence.

For a while, he was unable to contact Hua Chao's good friend.

When we met that time, the other person was just a handsome but harmless person with no special characteristics.

She noticed the shift in Hana's eyes and realized he was happy for Higashino Hibiki, which made her feel annoyed.

Yagami said, "There are more and more people. Let's hurry up and line up, or we don't know how long it will take."

"Yes!"

They were at the end of the line, and looking at the long, winding queue, they were immediately distressed. Half an hour had passed, and they had only moved one line forward.

However, at this moment, Higashino Hibiki's hands were sparking.

He now understood why celebrities' signatures are so unconventional.

His pen name has five characters, and if he signs for 400 people, it would take 2000 characters.

He could only write it in cursive script.

Fortunately, the person in charge told him that the time for entering the autograph session had ended, otherwise Higashino Hibiki really wanted to abandon the stall and leave.

"Tori Akino-sensei, it's been a long time."

Higashino looked up, his eyes wide open, and he immediately stood up.

"Professor Chai Menwen, what brings you here?"

“Please sit down, don’t be shy,” said Fumi Saimon, author of “Tokyo Love Story,” standing opposite Hibiki Higashino with a smile. “I really like your work, and of course I’d like to participate since I have this opportunity.”

She handed Higashino a single-volume book with both hands, and Higashino looked at the cover and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"The Garden of Words?"

"Yeah! There won't be a signing event when this work is released, so I can only follow your example."

It's true what they say, fortunes change. Higashino Hibiki has taken over "The Garden of Words," a single volume that he's read so many times it's practically wrinkled.

He opened the cover, went to the title page, and wrote his name.

"A gift to Teacher Wen of Chaimen."

"Thank you." Chaimen Wen waved, holding the single volume, and disappeared into the crowd.

……

As Fumio Saimon walked against the flow of people, he glanced at the grand scene at the book signing and couldn't help but marvel, "That rookie manga artist from back then has now grown into a nationally renowned author. It's truly remarkable."

As she was about to leave, she saw someone who looked familiar. This person was also a cartoonist, and very beautiful and famous.

In the realm of shoujo manga, she is arguably the most popular character.

"Naoko-chan, are you also here for Tori Akino-kun's autograph session?"

Recognizing Higashino Hibiki's influence, she didn't approach him to chat, fearing it would expose Naoko Hime's identity.